There was no Ridge Racer for the PlayStation 4’s launch but does this new iOS version represent the series’ natural new home?

Microtransactions are not a new idea, and we don’t just mean in terms of online gaming. Pumping 10p (and then, as the years went on, 20p, then 50p, and finally £1) into a coin-op was essentially exactly the same thing. And just to prove that publishers have never played fair arcade games were always purposefully difficult, just to make sure your go never lasted too long.

And yet there was at least a simple honesty to the way coin-ops worked. You got to play the whole game for as long as your skill allowed and if you enjoyed the experience when you died you put in another coin and continued where you let off. Quite why modern mobile games don’t try and adopt something similar we’re not sure, but as it happens microtransactions are not a particular concern in this latest attempt to keep Ridge Racer relevant.

They are a factor in the game, but although you might complain that there aren’t enough tracks or cars that’s a general problem with the whole franchise and not unique to Slipstream. You can buy in-game credits to unlock new cars and tracks early but you can also do so by simply earning the credits yourself. Admittedly you do so slower than you would in a normal game, but no more so than in Forza Motorsport 5 – and that certainly costs more than a meagre £1.99.

So, if the microtransactions are merely set at an ordinary level of extortion the real question with Slipstream is whether the world really needs another Ridge Racer game or whether, as one of the last great arcade games, the series has passed its sell-by-date.

Unlike many existing franchises forced onto a smartphone there is at least no problem controlling Ridge Racer on an iPhone or iPad. The controls have always been as simple as possible anyway, and although the game’s emphasis on drifting does involve you holding the phone almost upside down at times the mix of motion and touch controls works perfectly fine.

Most importantly there are four different control schemes, so if you don’t like the defaults you’re not stuck with them. And that includes not only turning off motion controls but both manual and automatic acceleration and driving assists, for those that are literally just along for the ride.

Namco has experimented with different styles of race game before but most of the time, as with the under-appreciated Ridge Racer Unbounded, they have not been well received. It’s therefore no surprise to find that this is a very traditional Ridge Racer experience, with little in the way of gimmicks.

Ridge Racer Slipstream (iOS) – arcade and proud

There’s a three stage nitro bar, as seen in more recent games such has Ridge Racer 3D, but electing when to use that is just about it in terms of complex race strategy. The slipstreaming of the title is also emphasised but it’s not really a new element for the franchise and works exactly as you’d imagine.

In fact that there are no new ideas here at all really, which has been the problem with Ridge Racer for the last decade or so. And yet like any good arcade game the simplicity and straightforwardness is all part of the appeal. If you want a no-nonsense arcade racer than Ridge Racer is still hard to beat and this mobile version is not only cheap but good-looking and, given the limits of the format, easy to control.

Even so, being on a mobile format does still impose some problems, namely the complete lack of any multiplayer. There are online time trials but that really isn’t the same thing, so once you’ve unlocked all 10 tracks the urge to continue quickly begins to trail off.

Again, this is a problem will almost all Ridge Racer games and while playing on a smartphone or tablet is not the ideal format for the game the low price is certainly more appealing than paying £35 for a 3DS cartridge.

Perhaps the reason Namco don’t just go back to charging 10p a go is that they’re worried no one will play it that much, but they should have more faith. Ridge Racer may not be new or innovative but it’s still fun, and for arcade games that’s all that’s ever mattered.

In Short: Microtransactions rear their ugly head once again, but they’re not enough to take the shine off one of the best portable Ridge Racers so far.

Pros: Excellent graphics and enough control options to suit everyone. Looks, sounds, and feels exactly as it should.

Cons: As ever with Ridge Racer there are too few tracks and nothing in the way of new ideas. Career progress is clearly slowed down to accommodate microtransactions. No multiplayer.